Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff told the media the team will be changing the concept of their car for the 2024 season.
After evaluating upgrades brought to the car for the United States Grand Prix and Mexico City Grand Prix, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said they point the team in the right direction for the next year.
However, Silver Arrows had a shocking weekend in Sao Paulo where the team lacked pace not only on Red Bull but also on McLaren, Aston Martin, and also Ferrari.
George Russell labeled the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix the weakest race of the season, and Wolff went even further, marking it as the worst race in 13 years. Wolff also told the media after the race:
"This is our route, and we will have a fundamentally different car next year. [This race] proves that it is the right thing to do."
The Austrian compared this year's race to last year's Brazilian Grand Prix when Russell and Lewis Hamilton achieved a one-two in the race on Sunday.
"Last year, you come out of an Interlagos weekend and you're absolutely on top, you're demolishing your competition on Saturday and Sunday, and it was like: 'Are we doing the right thing by continuing with the chassis that we have?"
Mercedes in Formula One to win the Championships, not to participate and compete in the middle of the field, so the team principal sees that there needs to be a change for the next season.
"Now, it is pretty clear. It feels horrible for the whole team, and I wish we could start the new season and concentrate on the new car. The glass is always half-empty, but what we know is that we're changing the car completely."
With two races still remaining until the end of the 2023 season, Mercedes fans already can't wait for the team to reveal the new car ahead of the 2024 season. The question remains: can Mercedes catch up to Red Bull?